Supporting structure kit



Nov. 18, 1958 H. E. WALLER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE KIT Filed on. 5, 1956 li a/raid E T Za/ZZer:

2,860,769 SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Harold E. Waller, Kewanee, Ill.

Application October 5, 1956, Serial No. 614,146

3 Claims. (CI. 206-46) This invention relates to a novel ,kit arrangement that is constructed to permit the user to assemble the parts thereof into a variety of supporting frameworks of various sizes in accordance with the requirements of the particular application.

Supporting structures such as trivets are commonly employed for spacing heated objects from a surface such as a table top that would otherwise be damaged by contact with the object. Similarly they can be employed in kitchen sinks for spacing pots and pans free from contact with the glazed surface of the sink in order to prevent scratching or marring thereof. In short, the applications for this item require a variety of specially manufactured articles to meet the differing requirements. As is customary, these specialty items are unduly expensive and there exists a real need for a low-cost supporting structure of this character. a

The present invention fills this need by providing an inexpensive kit of a highly flexible nature that permits the user to fabricate the framework to the needs and requirements of the application. The kit concept keeps the cost to the user desirably low and appeals to the present day desires of people to do-it-yourself.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a dowel rod constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a grid-like supporting structure illustrating one manner in which the dowel rods of Fig. l are assembled;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of similar supporting structure constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Briefly, the present invention provides, in kit form, the components necessary to assemble a grid-like supporting structure consisting of a plurality of parallel dowel rods that are telescoped over and secured to a plurality of dowel pins which are also arranged in parallel relationship and extend in a direction at right angles to the dowel rods.

This general type of supporting framework finds use where metal trivets are now employed. For example: for supporting coffee pots, casserole dishes, waflie irons and any other heated cooking containers in safely spaced relationship on a table top. It is also contemplated that supporting frameworks assembled from the kit of the present invention may serve the broad function of spacing any given object safely above a supporting surface where it is desired to protect such surface from damage due to contact with the object. For instance, the framework might serve as a cutting board or might be located in the bottom of the kitchen sink to protect the glazed surface of the sink from marring from contact with pots, pans, etc.

' itgd States Patent Z v f It will be apparent, therefore, that the applications for such supporting devices are many and varied and in the past have been handled by providing relatively high cost specialty items for each specific application. Due to the difficulty for manufacturers to foresee all of the potential individual applications, there are many possible uses for which no suitable supporting structures are commercially available.

The kit of the present invention allows the user to tailor a supporting framework to the particular size that is required for a given application, but more importantly achieves this flexibility at a minimum of cost and without complicating the structural members employed.

Referring now to the drawings, the principal component of the kit of the present invention consists ,of a plurality of elongated dowel rods, one such rod being illustrated at 10 in Fig. 1. As shown, each rod is formed with a plurality of score grooves 11 at spaced points along its length. The score grooves define incremental rod sections 12 and are cut sufficiently deep to facilitate severing the rod at any desired incremental length corresponding to one of the score grooves. Preferably the dowel rods are wooden and they may conveniently be severed by sawing. The location of the grooves marks the saw cut and their depth minimizes this task. In addition, the presence of the grooves automatically provides a finished bevelled edge at the saw-off end of the dowel rod and the freshly cut face may be sanded smooth to complete the operation. It is important that the scoring be such that the rod, when assembled into a supporting framework, will be sufficiently strong to withstand the usual loads and shocks to which it will be subjected. Thus the score grooves are shown as being of a depth that corresponds approximately to /8 of the diameter of the rod itself.

Each rod section is formed with a bore 13 for receiving a dowel pin in snug fitting relationship. The axis of each bore is transverse of the direction of the extension of the rod and all of the bores in any given rod are parallel and coplanar.

For the sake of simplicity, it is preferred that both the score grooves and the bores be arranged uniformly along the length of the rod though it should be apparent that other arrangements would also be operable just so long as all the rods are uniform.

It is contemplated that the kit would include several rods of the type shown in Fig. 1 as well as two or three rods of greater length and two or three of somewhat shorter length. In each instance the kit is intended to provide sufficient material for two or even more individual supporting frameworks and in the process of assembling these frameworks, it is intended that the rods will be severed at any selected score groove in accordance with the requirements of the application. In such an instance the desirability of uniformly spaced score grooves and bores becomes apparent as this arrangement eliminates the necessity of detailed planning to assure that a maximum utilization is made of the components of the kit.

A typical example of a supporting structure assembled from the kit of the present invention is shown in Fig. 2 and consists of a plurality of the sectioned dowel rods 10 that are disposed in suitably spaced parallel relationship and are interconnected by a plurality of dowel pins 14 with each pin being common to each of the rods and securing the rods with the bearing surfaces thereof in coplanar relationship and with the supporting surfaces thereof also in coplanar relationship. The pins are telescoped within the bores of each rod section to effect a snug fit therein. The pins may then be glued in place.

In practice, the kit will include a plurality of groups of dowel pins of various-lengths to afford desired flexibility in the size of the supporting framework.

In Fig. 2 the dowel rods are each shown as consisting of three rod sections which were formed by appropriately severing the elongated rods of Fig. 1. Larger sized supporting structures can of course be constructed by utilizing dowel rods with a greater number of rod sections.

Another typical supporting framework assembled from an alternative embodiment of the present kit concept is shown in Fig. 3. In this instance the number of dowel rods may be reduced and a plurality of dowel pin-receiving members in the form of dowel balls substituted therefor. The dowel balls adequately support the intermediate portions of the framework, and they may be arranged in a variety of individual designs in accordance with the needs of the application and the desires of the user. Preferably the dowel balls are glued in their selected locations. The use of the dowel balls provides even greater flexibility and simplification to the kit while reducing the cost of the kit.

An important advantage of the kit concept of this invention is its simplicity in that the average user will easily be able to construct a satisfactory supporting framework and hence will derive personal satisfaction from the project. It is to be noted that the various components are arranged with this fact in mind and thus the kit appeals strongly to people who enjoy the do-it-yourself approach. Numerous unique designs are available and these designs may be augmented by painting the finished framework with various attractive colors or combinations thereof. Thus the kit encourages people to use their creative faculties and requires but a minimum of manual dexterity and working tools.

In the foregoing disclosure the dowel rods have been shown cylindrical in cross-sectional form as have the bores formed in the dowel rods, the dowel pins, and the dowel balls. While this particular shape is preferred for its simplicity in construction, it should be apparent that the various components may be of any desired shape or any combination of shapes so long as cooperating portions are of identical shapes.

In the specification and claims, the term kit is used as a convenient term of reference for defining the novel combination of elements that make up the present invention. It will be appreciated that the actual components, when packaged for shipment and sale, may or may not require an actual container. For instance, they might be carried in suitable plastic bags or even bound together by a ribbon, a rubber band or some such similar means.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form of the invention is for the purpose of complying with Section 112, Title 35 of the U. S. Code and that the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

I claim:

1. In a kit for assembly into a grid-like supporting structure having a generally rectangular shape and having a size selected from a range of sizes that vary in predetermined increments and comprising a plurality of parallel dowel rods telescoped over and secured to a plurality of parallel dowel pins, said dowel pins extending at right angles to said dowel rods, and a plurality of discrete elemental dowel pin receiving members telescoped over and secured to said dowel pins in predetermined spaced relationship; the combination of a plurality of elongated wooden dowel rods each having a plurality of spaced score grooves defining a plurality of severable rod sections, said grooves marking and facilitating the shortening of said rods by any desired incremental length; each rod section being formed with a bore such that all the bores in each rod are identical in size and shape, parallel, and coplanar; a plurality of wooden dowel pins having a cross sectional shape and size corresponding to that of said bores; and a plurality of discrete elemental Wooden dowel pin receiving members each having a single bore of substantially the same size and shape as the bores in said rod sections, said dowel pin receiving members having the same cross sectional dimension as the cross sectional dimension of said dowel rod sections, with said pins being insertable in said rods and said dowel pin receiving members to form said supporting structure.

2. In a kit for assembly into a generally rectangularly shaped grid-like supporting structure, the combination with a plurality of lengthwise-extending, elongated, identical Wooden dowel rods each having a plurality of score grooves spaced apart therealong to define a plurality of severable rod sections, said grooves marking and facilitating the shortening of said rods by predetermined incremental lengths, each rod section having a bearing surface, with the bearing surfaces of the rod sections of a given rod being coplanar, each rod section being formed with a bore extending transversely, with all the bores in each rod being identical in size and shape and being parallel and coplanar, with the plane of said bores being parallel to the plane of the supporting surfaces, of a plurality of wooden dowel pins having a cross-sectional shape and size corresponding to that of said bores, with said pins being insertable in said bores to form a generally rectangularly-shaped, grid-like supporting structure having a length that is variable by the amount of the incremental length of said severable rod sections.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein the score grooves on each dowel rod are spaced uniformly therealong to define rod sections of uniform length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 150,164 Skaredolf July 6, 1948 612,237 Elworthy Oct. 11, 1898 1,155,035 Bostwick Sept. 28, 1915 1,587,356 Riebeth June 1, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,593 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1913 467,394 Germany June 29, 1927 

